Have you talked to your tween or teen about what a healthy relationship looks like? I can’t wrap my head around having this conversation with my children. My first question would be, “Where do I start?!”

February 4, 2014 is It’s Time to Talk Day and Mary Kay is the lead sponsor of this annual awareness day that will encourage conversations about healthy dating and relationships. Mary Kay will be in New York City together with teen dating abuse advocates and our cause champion on this issue – Olympic Gold Medalist, Jordyn Wieber! Jordyn believes that healthy relationships are all about balance. Together with her mom, she’ll be helping host two events with parents and teens about keeping the lines of communication open. Check back later this week for pictures from that event.

Getting involved in It’s Time to Talk Day is simple. Go to www.itstimetotalkday.org and you can download a toolkit that will help guide you through the conversation. Also, here are 3 easy tips from our expert partners at Break the Cycle to keep in mind when talking to your teen:

This conversation is going to feel awkward. Just like every other important conversation with your teen or tween – but it needs to happen. 1 in 3 teens will experience abuse in a dating relationship. The only thing you can do to help improve that statistic is help your teen not become one.

Try not to host a lecture, but have a conversation. Show respect for your teen’s opinions and listen. Mary Kay Ash once said that God gave you two ears and one mouth. That means you’re supposed to listen twice as much as you speak. This always makes me laugh, but it’s so true.

Be yourself. Sometimes acknowledging to your teen that this conversation is hard but important, disarms them enough to let down their defenses and listen to you more.

Today's blog post is from Kirsten Gappelberg, Mary Kay's Corporate Social Responsibility Manager. A busy wife and mother of two, Kirsten works to advocate for women and children on social issues that are near and dear to her heart.

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